The sediment on the banks and the riverbed contains elevated levels of lead and arsenic and poses a potential health risk in both the short- and long-term.

“That’s where the real risk lies in the river,” Danny Teitelbaum, a Colorado School of Mines professor and toxicologist, said in a previous interview with The Durango Herald. “That’s persistent material that can get into the fish, plants and even the water supply. … The big risks are birth defects and neurological effects on children, whose nervous systems are developing.”

The mine is still releasing water at a rate of approximately 559 gallons per minute. The water is captured and treated before being discharged into Cement Creek, a tributary of the Animas.

The EPA is blocking the release of documents surrounding the spill.

What could possibly be confidential about any of their documents? The documents would no doubt show how incompetent they are.

They have already redacted documents so we can’t find out what happened before the spill or how much the contractor was paid.

Rep. Lamar Smith is the chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee but he can’t get the EPA documents on the Gold King mine spill.

“It is disappointing, but not surprising, that the EPA failed to meet the House Science Committee’s reasonable deadline in turning over documents pertaining to the Gold King Mine spill,” said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX). “These documents are essential to the Committee’s ongoing investigation and our upcoming hearing on Sept. 9. But more importantly, this information matters to the many Americans directly affected in western states, who are still waiting for answers from the EPA.”

Gina McCarthy wouldn’t even visit the site of the spill which is an Obama administration tactic – avoid bad photo ops at all costs. Barack Obama certainly won’t visit.

“EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is currently crusading on climate-change action in Japan while President Obama, who has yet to visit the areas affected by the spill, is touring the U.S. to tout EPA’s latest regulation that will do little to impact climate change and will only further burden Americans with higher electric bills,” Smith said.

“Time and again, the EPA has failed to be cooperative, forthright, or reasonable in its dealings with my Committee and with Congress in general,” Smith told Watchdog. “The agency embodies all the dysfunction, misguided priorities, and government overreach that angers so many Americans. The EPA seems to have a clear disregard for the very people it is intended to serve.”

The EPA is being accused of creating the toxic spill in the Animas River to force the communities to agree to make it a Superfund site to build a waste-water treatment site nearby. Utah State Sen. Margaret Dayton has asked for an investigation.

The EPA waited a day before notifying New Mexico of the spill and that was after the Navajo Nation discovered it. Their supplies of water have been coming in filthy and they expect the Navajos to water their cattle and irrigate their crops with it.

When the Navajos were given claim forms, they had to agree to never make any further claims despite the fact that the spill will possibly have very long-term consequences.

The EPA has done absolutely nothing right but they insist on more power. They even want to control the puddles on your property.

5 COMMENTS

This is all for public consumption, to make political points. Rep. Lamar Smith flat out knows the House has control of the purse strings. Shut off EPA funding until that commie, Gina McCarthy, fully cooperates. Note that I did not say, begins to cooperate, I mean after all documents have been surrendered and she has testified before Smith’s committee. Then, restore funding incrementally. I’m sick of Washington’s games. We have a muslim president, a spineless congress , a traitorous Supreme Court and a totally lawless administration.

Oh come one. Even a retard can see that the EPA threw a temper tantrum when they didn’t get their ‘law’ passed to claim all clean water flowing through the USA as THEIRS. This is just one of many reasons right here why the EPA needs to be disbanded and allow the states to take care if their OWN lands, water and environments. The federal government is tasked with SECURING THE BORDERS ( nope) and providing a military to protect those borders. All the other duties should be the duty of the state governments – Dept of this or that … close them all. We can’t afford them … epecially when they do crap like this. If this would have happened in the private sector Macarthy would have been FIRED immediately. I bet President Trump would have thrown her ass in jail… maybe he still will. TRUMP for President.

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